The Cleverness of Syaoran
by MiMaron3
Summary: A deadly faction out for blood. A mission gone terribly wrong. A beautiful emerald eyed woman. Syaoran's going to need more than luck to get out of this mess. Rated T, just to be on the safe side.
1. Chapter 1

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Disclaimer:

I do not own, or even pretend to own, the characters of Cardcaptor Sakura. So please do not sue me. That would be very bad. Much obliged. :D

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**The Cleverness of Syaoran**

"So you understand the situation, right?" The hard eyes that stared at him from across the room were unwavering. Refusal was obviously not an option.

"I understand," Syaoran quietly replied as he turned and left the room. After all this time and all his hard work, nothing was coming out of it. He sighed as he leaned his head against the cold wooden door that he had just closed.

**xoxoxoxox**

"Young Master? Is there something I can do to assist you?" Wei put his hand on the young mans shoulder and Syaoran could feel the concern in his touch. He must look a mess. He had been up all night packing for the plane ride to Japan and for the first time, he really didn't want to go. The dread for what he was about to do was slowing down the packing process. He looked at his butler and long time father figure and smiled softly.

"Not at the moment. I'm stalling for now. But Wei…" Syaoran looked about the room looking for something, anything, that could prevent him from doing what he was about to do. "Wei… I need you to leave the mansion, alright? I want you to take a vacation." Syaoran looked at the butler. It was a round-about way of getting done what needed to be done, but he needed Wei to be safe. And at the moment, that was far away from him.

"I'm not quite sure I understand. We don't have the time for a vacation." Wei looked at the brunette, perplexed by what he was trying to do. Wei had been with him through everything so far. Why would he not need him now? How could he go on a vacation in this situation?

Syaoran rubbed his temples and smiled. How had he known that Wei wouldn't have just gone? Because Wei was one of the most consistent things in Syaoran's life. That's why. "Wei. It's important that you stay away from me for the time being. I know that it seems strange, but I don't want you involved in this."

"I think that I'm already as involved as I could ever possibly be." Wei frowned and glared determinedly over the rim of his glasses. Syaoran sighed and turned back to his luggage.

"You can't come. I won't allow it." He continued putting clothing into his suitcase. One t-shirt, two button-up shirts, three pairs of pants. He looked up at the butler, who still hadn't moved. The look in his eyes made Syaoran feel impossibly small, even though he was a good couple inches taller than Wei. He felt like he was child being scolded for lying or some other heinous mistake. Syaoran slumped as he thought about the possible options. There was no good ending that came with Wei coming with him. He couldn't take the risk that something happening to Wei. Syaoran turned toward the elderly man and pulled his shoulders up, standing at his tallest at 6'5". "That is an order. I will not tolerate an argument, Wei." Syaoran said menacingly. He knew that it was an empty threat and Wei knew it was an empty threat, but it was still a _threat_.

"What could you possibly do, Young Master? Fire me? I would then just follow you to Japan of my own accord and you could do nothing about it." Wei was standing toe to toe with Syaoran, his glare even more determined now than it had been mere moments ago. Syaoran sucked a breath of air into his lungs quickly. He knew Wei was right. There was nothing he could do, even if Wei did argue with him. Syaoran sighed and relaxed his shoulders. So much for that idea. He had known it wouldn't have worked, but he had had to give it a shot. Why couldn't Wei just make this easy on him?

"What do I have to do to convince you to just… go away for a little while?" Syaoran asked quietly. Anyone but Wei wouldn't have been able to hear the desperation and fear behind his voice. But it was Wei that Syaoran was asking. And he did hear the desperation in his voice. Syaoran could see Wei's determination falter and then wither away completely.

Wei sighed as he raised three fingers on his right hand. "I have three conditions. Conditions that absolutely have to be met or I will immediately fly to your side. Do you understand?"

Syaoran ran a hand through his messy brown hair and sank onto the bed next to him. "I'm willing to do anything." He smiled at the man standing opposite of him. "Just name it."

"I want you to call me every night before you retire." Syaoran resisted the urge to chuckle at such a childish request. He sounded like a mother sending her daughter off for her first overnight camp. The urge was eased to nothing as soon as he looked at Wei. The serious look in his eyes silenced any humor that might have been seen in the situation.

"Alright. I'll do it."

"I want you to find somebody, I don't care who, to be with you. I will not accept you being alone." Syaoran winced. That was a little easier said than done. Who could he possibly put into a situation like this voluntarily? Who could he trust enough in a situation like this? He would probably have to find a way to worm his way out of that one. "And don't presume that you can get out of this condition because I won't know. I will need to talk to this person nightly as well."

Crap.

"Finally…" Wei looked at Syaoran, really _looked_ at Syaoran, and smiled sadly. "This is the most important one. I want you to commit it to memory." Wei walked over to Syaoran and put his hands on his shoulders in a firm and fatherly gesture. "I want you to come back alive." Wei held Syaoran's gaze, almost daring him to disagree.

"That one I will definitely do."

**xoxoxoxox**

Saying goodbye had always been difficult for Syaoran and with sisters like Feimei and the rest, it was nearly impossible.

"Syaoran! Syaoran! Make sure you call me EVERY day!" He could still hear them calling as he got into the car. He didn't know how many times he had told them that it wasn't going to be possible, but they just kept pushing it. Eventually, it had gotten to the point where whenever one of them would say that, he would just lift his hand to acknowledge that he had heard. He knew that they were saying it because they wanted him to know that he would be missed and he also knew that they didn't really even expect him to call them. They all knew better than that. The situation just wouldn't allow that.

"Syaoran, we need to get to the airport." Syaoran was pulled from his thoughts by the voice of the ruby-eyed beauty sitting next to him.

"Right, sorry." Syaoran turned on the car and pulled out of the long driveway that led toward the mansion. The silence that filled the car was unbearable at best, but Syaoran couldn't think of anything to say. That had never happened before with Meilin. Usually the conversation was constantly flowing between them. But maybe that was just because usually Meilin always had something to talk about. She always just said whatever she was thinking, so the fact that she was just quietly sitting next to him was a bit terrifying. "Meilin-" Syaoran's attempt at attempting conversation was cut off.

"I want to come with you." Meilin looked over at him. Her ruby eyes, probably for the first time in years, weren't smiling. The statement had caught Syaoran off guard and he found himself feeling a bit uncomfortable under her intense gaze. "Syaoran, I want to protect you."

"Meilin… You can't." Syaoran shook his head slightly. He had thought he had finally had her convinced. He should have known better. Meilin would do anything for him; that had never changed.

"I can! Syaoran, I mean, I know I'm not as strong or as good at martial arts as you are but, I can shoot a gun and pretty skillfully use a knife! I won't be a burden. I know I won't. I need to go with you. I can help you! I can protect you." Meilin pleaded, turning in her seat to face him. Syaoran glanced over at her and saw that her eyes were laced with unshed tears. He winced as he looked back at the road. That was something he had never wanted to see again.

"That's not what I meant. I know that you're perfectly capable of protecting me. In fact, there is no one that I would rather entrust my life to, but what if you got hurt while protecting me? What if you died trying to save me? I wouldn't be able to handle that." Syaoran never looked away from the road while saying that. Truth be told, he would give anything to be able to take her with him. But as with Wei, he couldn't take that chance.

"I don't care! As long as you were safe, everything would be fine." That had been what Syaoran had been afraid of. And that was exactly the reason he couldn't take her with him. She didn't value her own life over his. He needed her to choose herself over him if it ever came to that kind of decision. He had seen way too many people that he cared about hurt in the past couple of months because of him. Syaoran glanced over at the reminder that Meilin always carried with her. The reminder of the pain he had caused. Running diagonally from the base of her collarbone down to the beginning of the swell of her breast was a thick, pale scar. It was only visible when Meilin was wearing v-necks and the like and she tended to avoid styles like that, knowing that the scar pained Syaoran. But he knew it was there. And he knew that it was probably never going to fade.

"Meilin…" Maybe he should try a different approach. He started again, "Meilin, I need you to stay here and protect my sisters." He looked at her meaningfully. "You're the only one that I can trust."

"Your sisters are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves! They have as much training as I do!" Meilin looked out the front window and huffed. She turned back to Syaoran suddenly. "I'm going. There's nothing that you could say that could convince me otherwise."

"I need you here to make sure nothing happens to them. I know that they have as much training and I know that their instincts are just as good as yours-"

"Then why are you making me stay?"

"Meilin, I've never asked you for much. And I certainly have never begged. To anyone. But right now, I'm begging you. Please stay here where they can hire bodyguards to protect you. Please." Syaoran had finally pulled over to the side of the road and he was holding both of Meilin's hands in his, looking straight into her eyes. Her ruby eyes caught and he knew that he had won. She would stay.

There was a moment of silence between the two of them. They were having a conversation with there eyes, something they had perfected over years of pointless parties and monotonous meetings. This was the first time that they had ever used it for something so dire, though. It was a battle of wills that Syaoran had already won. Meilin was the one who finally ended the silence.

"Okay. I'll stay." She sighed as she looked out the side window. "But you have to promise that you'll come back alive. I'll never forgive you if you don't." Meilin never looked away from the window while saying it, but Syaoran couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She looked so pale and defeated. Is that what the past couple of months had done to her? He had never seen her looking so vulnerable. After a few moments of studying her, she still hadn't made eye contact with the amber eyed man. Syaoran turned back to the wheel and got back on the road.

"I've got quite a few people keep that promise to, apparently." Syaoran smiled as they continued on the road.

**xoxoxoxox**

They had made their way through the rest of the car ride and their way through airport security in silence. Meilin was taking the decision to leave her behind hard and Syaoran couldn't think of anything that would make the situation easier on her. They eventually reached the porting gate and Meilin couldn't go any further with him.

Syaoran turned to face her, "Thank you for staying. I know it's not what you want, but it's for the best. Really, it is. You have to believe that." He didn't look at her, even while talking to her. He looked past her. Knowing that if he looked at her, he might be tempted to ask her to come. Whether she had luggage and a ticket or not.

"I get it." Meilin stared at the ground, her shoulders sagging. '_Probably holding back tears', _Syaoran thought. He understood that she didn't cry often. She had a diamond will; it was the strongest thing he could think of and it made her shine. But at this point, he thought that the situation called for tears.

"I'm going to be fine, you know?" He smiled as he caught her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. A little white lie never hurt anybody, right?

"You better be." He could feel her snuggle her face into his chest for a brief second before pulling away. She smiled up at him a soft, sad smile. "Be safe." She reminded him as she put her hand on his cheek and forced him to look at her. She abruptly pulled her hand away and smacked his shoulder. "Now go! You're going to miss the boarding period." Her smile lightened as she pushed him into the boarding tunnel. Syaoran walked a few steps forward and decided it was fine to take one last look. She was still there; her smile just as bright. It took her a moment to realize that he had turned back, but when she did she quickly waved him off. "Go, go!"

Syaoran turned and walked onto the plane.

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**Author's Note:** Alright! :D We made it! Thanks for reading! I know it ended before we could meet Sakura, but she'll come in the next chapter! I just didn't want to make this terribly long and that seemed like a marvelous place to stop. Anywho, please rate and review. I hope we can meet again in the next chapter! Which hopefully I'll have up soon…*shifty eyes*


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own, or even pretend to own, the characters of Cardcaptor Sakura. So please do not sue me. That would be very bad. Much obliged. :D

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The Cleverness of Syaoran

So far, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Syaoran considered that a good sign. He had gotten on to the plane, found his seat, and he'd sat in that seat for a good 2 hours. If he could make it another 2 ½ hours, he was supposedly going to land. After that, he didn't exactly have a plan. But he'd worry about that later. He didn't want to plan anything too far ahead, especially since he didn't know if he was even going to get to do the things he planned. The only thing he knew right now was that there was DEFINANTELY someone waiting at the airport for him. He was actually looking forward to landing. Just a little bit though.

Suddenly, something tiny and brown went flying into his field of vision and began hitting the window. He watched as a flurry of peanuts began to fly through the air and tumble into his lap. Apparently his relaxation time had come to a premature end. He glanced up to see a shocked girl with a package of peanuts wide open in her hands. He could probably imagine what had happened.

"I'm so sorry! It wouldn't open and then…I guess I pulled too hard… They just went flying!" The girl looked positively frantic as she dropped into a squatting position and quickly began cleaning up the mess. Syaoran just stared at her. What was she doing? Was she actually sitting there cleaning up the peanuts?

"Look Miss…" He paused hoping for a name to insert. When none appeared forthcoming, he continued. "It's really no big deal. I'll just get the stewardess to bring a broom…"

The woman looked up at him with a confused, bright red face. Syaoran watched with good humor as the information seemed to churn in her head to make an actual coherent thought. She was more flustered than he had thought. Syaoran let out a small chuckle when the brunette finally let it sink in and jumped to her feet, almost as quickly as she had gone down. "Right. Right, of cour-…"

"I heard you need a broom?" A stewardess had found her way over the mess and was helpfully holding out a miniature broom and dust pan. Syaoran couldn't help but find her overly excited smile a tad creepy, but he tried to not let it show on his face. And when Syaoran didn't want to reveal his emotions, they didn't show. He always had had an excellent poker face.

"Oh! How great! Thank you so much!" The peanut lady had turned to grab the broom and pan from the stewardess, her lips shaped into a beautiful full-faced smile. For the second time in the past couple minutes, Syaoran had to contain his own laughter. The moment the stewardess got a good look at the peanut lady, her smile dimmed by about 30%. With her large emerald eyes and stunning smile, Syaoran didn't doubt that she was a bit intimidating to other women. Not that he really cared. If the circumstances had been different, he probably would have attempted to talk to her a bit. But the circumstances still stood where they did, so that was completely out of the question. He had a mission; he didn't have time for unexpected distractions.

"Oh, right…Of course." The creepy over-friendly smile returned. "Here, you just sit down and I'll do it for you!" She began to move toward Syaoran's aisle.

"This isn't my seat though," Peanut Lady pointed toward an aisle a few meters away. "I sit over there. And I would prefer to clean it up myself, to be completely honest." She reached for the broom and dust pan.

"Don't worry about it! It's my pleasure!" The stewardess' smile brightened, if that was possible, and practically pushed the Peanut Lady back in the direction she had pointed. The Peanut Lady glanced behind her shoulder as she walked back to her seat, her facial expression showing an apologetic look. Syaoran almost understood what she meant too, with one more glance at the stewardess that was left with him. She looked like a panther on the hunt. And he was the prey.

~xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo~

As he heard someone plop into the seat next to him, Syaoran jumped in his seat slightly. Not enough that anyone saw, but it's the fact that it happened that bothered him.

"So…I'm glad she didn't devour you." A familiarly friendly voice drifted toward him. Syaoran glanced over to see the pretty brunette peanut lady from earlier sitting in the empty seat next to him. She had brought a magazine from her seat and was reading it as if she had been sitting there the entire flight. Syaoran looked back at the account book on his food tray and sighed. He had a feeling that he wasn't going to be getting anymore work done.

"Who didn't what now?" He questioned. It had only been about 30 minutes since the peanut incident in the first place and he had just finally gotten the stewardess to leave him alone. He feared that the question would bring more conversation than he was willing to participate in, but sometimes his curiosity got the best of him. And this pretty petite was certainly piquing his curiosity.

"The stewardess… I was sure she was just going to swallow you whole." She quickly looked up from her magazine and glanced at him for a brief moment before returning to whatever article she was reading.

Syaoran couldn't hide his blatant surprise. At least he wasn't the only one thinking it! He burst into a loud spasm of laughter for a brief moment before he caught himself. "You know, I had a few suspicions about her as well." He offered a quick smile and let his eyes wander back to the accounting book. His mind started to skim through all his usual escape plans, but as much as he thought, he couldn't think of one that would work in this particular situation. It wasn't like he could just get up and leave her. Besides, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to. He hadn't had a lot of chances to relax lately.

"Well, just for my own sanity, I want you to know… She's still watching you like a hawk. I suspect that she'll sprint over here if you so much as raise your pinky. I think she suspects me of knowing you, so I figured I would be the perfect protection." Peanut Lady finally closed her magazine and looked at Syaoran. Her emerald eyes held an abundance of laughter in them, almost making Syaoran think that she was teasing him.

"Who said that I need any protection?" Syaoran blinked seriously, hoping that she was just looking for an excuse to talk to him. He didn't really need this stewardess getting attached to him or anything, but that didn't mean that he was willing to let her wiggle her way under the radar.

"I did," Peanut Lady replied without any hesitation. "That smile of hers is a little creepy. Almost stalker creepy. And I know I wouldn't want one of them getting attached to me, so I figured you wouldn't either." She smiled energetically and glanced behind her to look at the black-haired stewardess. "I mean, did you see that smile?" She laughed beneath her breath and looked back at Syaoran.

Syaoran chuckled quietly. He hadn't realized how lonely and tense he had been on the plane ride until she was talking to him. Maybe he could let her fly under the radar. "How could you miss it? That was the kind of smile that makes your hair stand on end." His impression of the Peanut Lady was improving by the second. Why was it so comfortable to talk to her?

"Alright, so let's get some kind of conversation flowing." She reached into her bag and pulled out a small, thick book. Apparently she had finished her magazine. Syaoran could vaguely see it on the floor. He didn't really care enough to check efficiently. He raised his attention back up to the woman's emerald-colored eyes that were skimming past the words on the pages and watched as her pink lips moved in what he assumed was the pattern of words. He shook his head slightly as he pulled himself out of his own mind. "…favorite food?"

"What's the book about?"

The woman looked up quickly and smiled widely at Syaoran. Obviously that had been the correct question. "Oh, this one? It's my favorite." She closed the book, with her thumb marking her page, and lifted it so that he could see the cover. It had a picture of two little girls and a little boy on the cover. "It's a children's book, yes, but there are some things you just never outgrow, right?" She hastily reached her hand into her bag once more and pulled out a small pressed flower, still inside its wax paper. She placed the flower in the book to mark her page and put the book back into the bag. The Peanut Lady turned to look at Syaoran and for the first time since she had sat down next to him, he felt like her attention was fully on him.

Syaoran shifted somewhat uncomfortably and wondered briefly about _why_ he was uncomfortable. The Peanut Lady was hardly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was vaguely childlike in appearance, actually. It was still pretty warm in Japan and she was dressed appropriately. She was wearing a light blue summer dress with brown sandals and a white, short-sleeved cardigan. She wore a belt around her waist that showed off her hourglass, but it wasn't a sensual looking addition. It just made her look cute. She had a cute brown bob, which perfectly framed a cutely shaped face, which contained cutely plump lips and a cutely pert nose. She was a giant mess of cute! Not that she wasn't still gorgeous…It was just a gorgeous that was cuter than he had ever seen it. This wasn't like the girls he dated, nor was it like Meilin or his sisters. Syaoran was in completely foreign territory with this one. Maybe that was the cause for his discomfort. Syaoran phased out of his thoughts long enough to notice that the Peanut Lady was observing him in the same blatant manner in which he had observed her. At least he was sure that they weren't coming to the same conclusions about each other. "So…" Syaoran pushed the Peanut Lady back into reality. "You never told me what the book was about." He gestured toward the bag that now contained the book and leaned back on his seat, his face still looking in her direction.

"Oh, well… It's about this girl who opens a book which lets loose these 52 different magical cards…"

~xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox~

The brunet's eyes quickly shifted back and forth across the airport terminal, looking for a particular face. He sighed quietly and placed his suitcase on the ground and lowered himself down until he was seated. He wasn't in the way of anyone and he couldn't find his friend, so he figured that the best plan of action would just be to stay put. One way or another, he would be found. Syaoran rubbed his eyes and quietly placed his hands in his palms. For the last hour to hour and a half of the plane ride, he and the Peanut Lady had talked just about everything. He was embarrassed at how low his guard had fallen around that woman. Of course, he didn't mention that little snippet of information about why he was going to Japan in the first place, but he figured that it probably wouldn't have been the smartest idea in the world for her to know. He didn't want any headlines saying she had been killed in a car accident or anything. But they had talked about their families. And their jobs. And their hobbies/interests. She was a florist. She wasn't married and she had a father and an elder brother. She loves children and often babysits her friends' children on the weekend. She loves reading fantasy books. That was all the information that he spout off the top of his head and as he was going through it, he realized that he had never asked for her name. He couldn't even begin to guess either. As far as he could remember, he didn't think that she had even ever said it. Syaoran placed his hands on his knees and sat up a little taller. It wasn't like they were ever going to see each other again anyway.

"Syaoran! Syaoran, I am so sorry!" A black haired man with glasses came running up to Syaoran, one hand waving over to him, the other firmly clutching a petite hand. Syaoran's gaze followed the arm and saw that it connected to an equally petite woman. "I really am sorry, Syaoran. We were here, honest." The man slowed as he reached his spot next to Syaoran and placed his hand on Syaoran's shoulder. "She had to use the restroom."

"Hey! Don't make this all my fault! You had to go too!" The woman smacked the back of the man's head in a playful manner. However, she quickly shifted her attention to the brunet who had just arrived. "Syaoran!" She leapt up and gave him a hug, which he heartily returned.

"Hey there, Tomoyo. How've you been?" Syaoran gently placed Tomoyo back on the ground.

Tomoyo's violet eyes looked lovingly up at Syaoran's own chocolate colored. "I've been great. Really, really great." Her eyes started were quickly filling up with tears. "Oh, Syaoran! Why haven't you ever come to see us before! We're practically family, you know." She smiled softly as she hugged him again, this time a little less energetically.

"I'm sorry, Tomoyo. I really am. I've just been busy." Syaoran gently draped his arms over her as she leaned on him.

"Yeah, taking over the world probably isn't as easy as he thought it was going to be." Eriol said as he grabbed a portion of Syaoran's luggage and began to trudge his way out of the airport. "Tomoyo, sweetie, let's stop the water works till we get to the hotel, alright? You know how Syaoran feels about people making a scene." He joked as he turned back towards his girlfriend. Tomoyo slowly pushed herself out of Syaoran's embrace and wiped her eyes.

"Right!" She smiled widely. "I don't have any reason to be crying anyways! You're here now! Just in time for the wedding!" She pranced off after Eriol, her long black hair swaying with her every move. Syaoran could feel his jaw physically drop. What wedding? They couldn't really be…? Could they? Syaoran grabbed the remainder of his luggage and hurried after them. "Yes! I'm kidding!" Syaoran heard Tomoyo's voice echo through the halls of the airport. Syaoran smiled softly to himself. _That woman._

~xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox~

After they dropped Tomoyo off at her office, the two men made their way to the place that would become Syaoran's headquarters while he was in Japan. At first glance, the hotel was…well…large. It was large and it was grand and it was everything that Syaoran hated. Heck, even if you got a good look, the hotel was still large and grand. Which is why it was perfect. It would either be the first place that they would look for him or it would be last. Both of which would work, because it would save everyone a lot of time and money if they just killed him and got it over with. "Syaoran, I'm going to go get the room key, why don't you sit down and relax for a while. Jetlag has got to be setting in." Eriol jolted Syaoran out of his somber thoughts and walked over to the counter. Syaoran watched his friends relaxed, yet refined gait across the lobby and was reminded of why he had chosen him for the responsibility of helping him. The number one reason being that he easily adjusted to any situation, but he had an ulterior reason too. He knew that Eriol would try his best to protect him, but Eriol wouldn't risk his life for Syaoran. He had Tomoyo to think about. Syaoran laid his head back on the chair and closed his eyes for a moment. Within seconds, he felt himself doze. Oh well… Killers, come ye all.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Alright, alright… I know… I'm sorry. But hey! :D Updates should a smidgen faster now that my life isn't moving the speed of a bullet. Well, at least, they shouldn't take 4 months to get out. Plus, with this one… I hit a road block. I just couldn't decide what I wanted to do with Sakura. And now that I've got all the characters in play, I'm hoping that the story will take a life of its own, like they always do. :D Umm… Thank you very much for reading! I really appreciate it! Please review and leave your honest opinion! :D And if you're one of the people who reviewed the first chapter and added me to your subscription list, well…

YOU MAKE MY LIFE! :D

Best wishes and happy reading.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own, or even pretend to own, the characters of Cardcaptor Sakura. So please do not sue me. That would be very bad. Much obliged. :D

* * *

The Cleverness of Syaoran

He was too tired to fight it. He was vaguely aware of his consciousness fading as his vision blurred and his muscles relaxed slightly. He would still wakeup with the slightest jolt, but a few moments with a semi-low guard weren't going to be the end of him. He was asleep within moments.

/xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox\

Syaoran knew the exact moment when Eriol started to come for him. He felt his gaze on him as he thought of the best way to wake his friend. He could hear his footsteps on the lush carpet, moving towards him at the pace of Eriol's stride. Syaoran didn't move a muscle, slightly hoping that he would just leave him there.

"Syaoran! Hey, Syaoran! Wake up. I've got the room key. You can at least walk yourself up to the room before passing out." Syaoran's eyes snapped open at the physical heat radiating from his friends' hands just before he touched his shoulders to give him a good shake. Eriol's hand flinched away quickly at the sight of Syaoran's amber eyes trained on him. He knew better than to mess with him before he was fully awake. The brunet slowly raised himself from his relaxed position to his head in his hands as he rubbed small circles to relieve his exhausted eyes. After a brief second like that, Syaoran grasped the basic understating that he WAS, in fact, going to have to move a little. He groaned loudly as he raised himself from the chair, obviously not in the best of moods.

"Right, okay." He reached languidly for his luggage and began heading towards the elevator that would take Syaoran to his most sacred place… His bed. Eriol swiftly punched the button and began talking about some gibberish having to do with Tomoyo. Syaoran paid only enough attention to him to know what to answer if questioned. Within seconds, a bell-hop that was probably around the same age as Eriol and himself appeared next to him, from seemingly no where. His short dark brown hair and smiling eyes were surrounded by laugh lines, making Syaoran think that this was obviously a boy that had a good amount of laughter in his life. There, standing in the almost deserted hotel lobby, Syaoran felt a bit jealous of this boy who was obviously so happy with life. Syaoran had always been mature for his age, but things were different when you just naturally WERE and when it was forced on you. He pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to cease the already increasing headache that he had been nurturing since he had landed 3 hours ago. He glanced at the boy briefly, "Umm…. Could you possibly take-…"

"Room 1510, right?" The bell-hop smiled politely, making it as obvious as he could that he just wanted to take the luggage and go.

"Yes, that's the one." He smiled one of his quick half-smiles just as he heard the elevator ding, telling him that it had reached the bottom floor. With a final glance at the bell-hops fading back, he entered the elevator and leaned back on the railing, closing his eyes as he did. He listened to the distant sounding hum of Eriol rambling next to him as he felt the elevator steadily moving up the floors.

/xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox\

Within moments of opening the door, Syaoran had already claimed a bed as his own and promptly fallen asleep, giving himself a good midday nap as Eriol unpacked his belongings. It wasn't until well after 5 in the evening that Tomoyo finally called them. It wasn't to report that she had made it home safely, like they had planned though. "Tomoyo! Stop talking quite so fast. Now, why don't you explain that one more time, alright?" The room was silent as Eriol listened to the reply. Syaoran briefly opened one of his eyes to at least appear as if he were conscious enough to make any decisions. Eriol was sitting on the bed next to him, one hand had the phone pressed to his ear while his free hand was firmly cupping his forehead in frustration. He had been on the phone with Tomoyo for approximately thirty minutes and he had yet to get any coherent information from the woman except that there was apparently someone with her. And he hadn't even gotten that information FROM her, he just kept hearing her talk to someone else and giggle on the other line. "I just don't think that would be a very good idea." He glanced up at the spread out brunet quickly, showing that he was the object of their long-winded conversation. Syaoran uncovered his other eye and propped himself up with his elbow, trying to make it look as if he were open for conversation. Eriol sighed loudly as he lifted a finger, telling Syaoran to wait a moment. Syaoran nodded and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Alright, now can you say that ONE more time? You're still speaking too fast. Remember that I can only understand you if you're talking UNDER 100 miles per hour." Eriol smiled softly as he released his forehead. Syaoran rolled his eyes as he threw the covers off of himself and forced himself out of the bed. He walked into the bathroom and took a quick look into the mirror. Well, on the bright side, he looked as exhausted as he felt. He sighed as he turned on the water and began to wash his face, hoping that the cold water would help him wake up a little. After trying to tame his hair and quickly giving up, Syaoran finished his business and walked out of the restroom and back into the room. "Syaoran?" Obviously Eriol was off the phone. Syaoran leaned past the corner that separated him from Eriol's view.

"Yes?" Suspicious from the start, Syaoran knew that he was probably going to tell him something that he didn't like. Knowing his luck, Tomoyo probably wanted to go somewhere.

"How do you feel about going out for dinner?" Eriol smiled guiltily as he held up the phone that was still in his hand. Syaoran felt himself inwardly groan at the idea of having to leave the room.

"How much of an option do I have?" He asked, already mostly knowing the answer. Judging from what he heard from his end of the conversation, his best guess was that Tomoyo was probably already here. Plus, she was pretty excited about wherever they were going. She might come up here and drag him down even if he said that he wasn't feeling up to it. Tomoyo was just that type of person.

"Slim to none." Eriol tossed the cell phone onto the bed and laid back, crossing his arms underneath his head. "Sorry, man. I would have turned her down, bu-"

"She's already here, isn't she?" Syaoran interrupted, knowing that his assumption had been correct. "That woman really doesn't think too much when she gets excited, does she?" He asked under his breath as he worked his way into his own unpacked suitcase to get a shirt. "Do you at least know where we're going?"

"Not a clue. Why?" Eriol propped himself up on his elbows and looked curiously at his roommate.

Syaoran lifted a white button-up shirt in one hand and a dark green sweater in the other. "You never know with Tomoyo." He said pointedly. Eriol groaned as he plopped back onto the bed.

"Right. Dress code." He rubbed his eyes tiredly and picked back up his cell phone. "I could call her, but just getting the fact that she was here was like pulling teeth." He looked at the screen of his phone, thinking about the best plan of action. He turned to Syaoran. "I really don't want to call her. Can we just assume that she probably hasn't had time to go home and change? Let's just assume that she's only excited about this friend of hers that is in town. Just wear the sweater." He smiled mischievously at the brunet. Syaoran placed the button up back into the suitcase and put the dark green sweater on. "It's not like what she says would change anything anyway. Even if we were going somewhere nice, you would have worn the sweater just to piss her off."

"It depends on how nice. I didn't think that Tomoyo would take us anywhere really nice tonight anyway. She knows better than to piss me off that much. Anyway, you mentioned something about a friend of hers being in town?" Syaoran went back to the bed across from Eriol and began putting on his shoes.

"Ah, right. Don't worry about it too much; it's a friend of hers from her hometown. I vaguely remember her saying something about a cousin? Tomoyo didn't know about it either until she called saying that she needed a ride from the airport. Just don't pick on her too much tonight and everything will be fine." Eriol stood up and wandered over to the door. Grabbing his wallet, his keys, and the credit card shaped key to the room, he reached for the door handle. "Let's get going, we don't want her to start getting cranky."

Syaoran slowly got to his feet and joined his friend at the door. "Alright, let's head out. You've got the room key?"

"Yeah, I'm putting it in my wallet now." Eriol waved his wallet in the air for a moment before shoving it into his back pocket.

"Let's get this over with…" Syaoran growled slightly as he headed towards the elevator, vaguely hearing Eriol chuckling behind him.

/xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox\

Syaoran and Eriol made it down to the lobby to find Tomoyo….Not there. Seated in the leather chairs that were placed in a large sitting area, Syaoran waited patiently as Eriol made the customary 'where-the-heck-are-you' phone call to find out where the heck she was. "You said that you were here already? Tomoyo! I woke him up! I could have died!" Syaoran softly laughed at his friend's frustration, knowing that he was exaggerating to make her feel bad. Not that he could blame him. He practically wanted to throttle the woman. "No, Tomoyo… We aren't going to go back up to our room." Eriol sighed loudly as he shrugged his shoulders at Syaoran. "Yes, yes… We're still going to go to dinner with you and your friend. Just hurry and get here, alright?" After another brief second, Eriol looked at the phone, looked at Syaoran, looked back at the phone and punctually hit the 'end call' button. Syaoran raised an eyebrow.

"What? No 'I love you'?" The brunet mocked while leaning back to relax in the chair again.

"Nope, it wasn't necessary." Eriol smiled at him, "I hung up on her." He plopped into the chair facing Syaoran and placed his feet on the footstool between them.

Syaoran shot up from his position to sit straight backed. "You hung up on Tomoyo?" He asked eyes wide.

"Well, she started talking to her friend again, so I figured we were done talking. Now relax a little, she just told me that they won't be here for another ten minutes." He closed his eyes, just to open them back up a moment later. He glanced around the room as if looking for something. Not finding it, he closed his eyes again and resituated himself into the chair. "Besides, you and I both know that I'm going to catch all kinds of grief for it later."

For the second time in what seemed like forever, Syaoran laughed at his friend's antics. After he relaxed back into the chair, he took a quick survey of the room. Altogether, it was a nice room. A little less cozy than he liked and the commotion coming from the lobby could be heard a little too well, but it was a room that had a feel that he liked. The room looked like it was made for people to meet up in with its two dark-brown leather sofas on both sides of the room. Leather armchairs that matched the couches were strategically placed so that smaller groups could talk. He and Eriol were sitting directly across from the doorway to the room and slightly diagonal from the fireplace that was a few meters away. The walls were a light beige color and there were wood floors. Syaoran closed his eyes and leaned his head onto the back of the armchair. _'It looks like a coffeehouse.'_ He thought as he felt himself dozing. He jolted awake and got up from the chair he was sitting in to go stand next to the fireplace. He glanced at Eriol as he passed, noting that he was asleep. _'What is with those chairs? It's almost like you're supposed to fall asleep in them.'_ As Syaoran watched the fire dance wildly, he didn't notice the bell-hop from before come up to him.

"Excuse me, sir?" He tapped Syaoran lightly on the shoulder. He jumped slightly at the touch, partially because he hadn't sensed him coming up from behind him and partially due to the interruption of his thoughts.

"Oh. Yes?" Syaoran was slightly baffled that the man had spoken to him. He had seemed as if he didn't really care who he was earlier. Syaoran could only assume it was something about his luggage, but nothing had seemed misplaced earlier when he was in the room.

The boy stuck out his hand sharply and smiled, making his laugh lines crinkle again. "My name is Takashi Yamazaki; it's a pleasure to meet you." For a moment, Syaoran sat there, gaping at this strange man. This man made Syaoran feel as if his life wasn't just as pleasant as it had been mere moments ago. Syaoran carefully looked over his features. They hadn't changed since earlier. He seemed as if he were a pleasant enough guy, laugh lines were easily visible radiating from both his ever-smiling eyes and mouth. Syaoran shook his head slightly.

"Right, it's a pleasure to meet you as well." His suspicions still high, he cautiously took Yamazaki's hand, not even bothering to smile. "Is there something you need?"

"No, I just felt that you might have thought I had been a bit rude earlier. I'm just here to apologize." He took his hand back and lowered into a quick, but low bow. "I'm very sorry."

Syaoran glanced around nervously, hoping that they weren't causing any sort of scene. "It's really not a big deal. I didn't think you were rude at all." He glanced toward the door and back at the still slumbering Eriol, hoping for some kind of escape. This was exactly the kind of situation that made him uncomfortable. He just wasn't meant to handle these sorts of things. That was what he kept Meilin around for. Syaoran's jaw tightened at the thought of the ruby-eyed vixen, leaving her behind had left a bit of a sour aftertaste in his mouth that he hadn't quite get rid of.

"Well, in that case. I'll leave you alone now. Please don't hesitate to contact the front desk if you need anything." As quickly as he had come, he had left, leaving Syaoran more than a little confused with the situation. He turned back to the flame that had held his interest so well before. Finding that he was no longer in any mood to contemplate anything, he gathered himself up and went back to the chair that he had tentatively claimed as his own. Within moments, he was asleep.

/xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox\

"Eriol, Syaoran? Really? I told you that I would be here in ten minutes! I even got here early! How is it that you two can fall asleep anywhere?" Syaoran jolted awake at the sound of Tomoyo's yelling. After a quick appraisal of his valuables, he relaxed instantly. Everything important was still there. He sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair, mussing it up even more than it was naturally. "Oh good, at least you're awake." Syaoran looked up at Tomoyo to watch her huff loudly and gesture toward her still fast asleep boyfriend. "I'll admit that he didn't really get much sleep or anything, but still. He's so defenseless." Tomoyo gently sat on the arm of Eriol's chair, softly moving a piece of Eriol's hair as she smiled softly. "Why don't you go ahead and head out for the car?" Tomoyo glanced over at Syaoran as he stood. "Do you know if we're taking his car or mine?"

"I know that he grabbed his car keys on the way out, but that could have just been out of habit." Syaoran leaned on the doorway with his arms crossed as a thoughtful face passed over Tomoyo's pretty face. She glanced at Eriol's hands for a second before she noticed the keys sitting in one of his fists. She reached for the hand and released the keys from his grasp, keeping the hand in hers.

"Here, we'll take his. I like it better anyway. I think she parked mine anyway, so it'll be easier to just get his." She tossed the keys over to his direction and poked Eriol in the side again. "It's going to be a while till I can get him up anyway." She flashed a wide grin at Syaoran.

Syaoran shook his head slightly as he deftly caught the keys and started walking toward the entrance. "Sure, I don't mind." He stopped for a moment before continuing, "Is that friend of yours going to be expecting you out there or anything?" Syaoran asked over his shoulder, without slowing his pace.

"I honestly…" Something caught Tomoyo's eye and her gaze automatically followed it. A smile graced her lips once more and she pointed just past Syaoran. "Nope. Looks like she followed me in," The brunet male turned toward the direction that she pointed and almost ran smack into the girl that was obviously Tomoyo's friend.

"Oh! Hello!" The pretty woman looked up at Syaoran and smiled brightly. "I wasn't expecting you to turn around so quickly." She laughed as she leaned past him to give Tomoyo a look. "If my assumption is correct, you must be Syaoran, right?" She stuck out her hand to shake his hand, but after a few moments her jaw dropped and Syaoran couldn't agree with the sentiments more. "You're the guy…" She droned off, not finishing the sentence.

"From the plane! The Peanut Lady!" Syaoran pointed at her, a shocked expression marring his attempt at controlling his emotions. He would have known that face anywhere. Tomoyo's friend was the Peanut Lady? As sad as it was, it made perfect sense to Syaoran. In a way, he was more shocked about how right that felt than about the fact that the strange woman on the plane was Tomoyo's friend. He laughed loudly as he shook her hand. "Ah, this is great. Just great." He smiled as he rubbed his temples and calmed himself down. "You assumed correctly, by the way. It's nice to meet you…" He paused as he once again awaited a name to fill in the blank. She flushed a deep red and looked down at her feet.

"Sakura, its Sakura Kinomoto."

/xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox\

_How mortifying! _Sakura's thoughts were in turmoil. She couldn't honestly say that this weekend had been according to plan. She lost her luggage, her ride couldn't come get her from the airport, she found out Tomoyo had plans for tonight that she was now being forced to attend, and now she was being laughed at by a man that she barely even knew. _If I had known I would see him again, I wouldn't have been so outgoing! I was just using him to distract me from the plane ride! It's not my fault that I'm scared of heights! _Sakura plastered a wide fake smile on her face and prayed to all that was good that the 'Syaoran' guy wouldn't notice. "Peanut Lady, huh?" Sakura snuck a glance at her long-time best friend in attempt to conjure some rescue mission; unfortunately, the traitor was busy with waking her passed out boyfriend. She was on her own. "Can't say I didn't earn that one."

"I can't say that I'm honestly surprised that you two are friends." Sakura returned her attention to the man in front of her and almost melted for the third time that day. He just had this smile that she had almost no immunity to! She had noticed on the plane that he didn't smile often, his aura giving off a clear 'back-off' signal. Before she had realized that they were the same person, she had noted a similar aura from the man that Tomoyo had been talking too, but she didn't really understand why. He seemed like he was happy enough. She couldn't see why he would be so distant. "Hey…Earth to Sakura? Are you there?" Syaoran bent playfully, patting her on the shoulder to call her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry, sorry." She smiled meekly and took a step away from him. "So, I'm assuming everything has been smooth sailing since we separated?" Sakura smiled politely, making a desperate plea for the familiarity of small talk. This man who made her knees shake slightly was not her first choice of conversation partners. Nothing against him, but the fact that his outside personality was clearly a fake put her a bit on edge. His eyes were way too serious and cold for him to be as playful as he was being.

"Nope, nothing major has happened. You?" He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, a genuinely masculine pose. Sakura blushed slightly; the sweater he was wearing was complementing his every feature. This couldn't be good for her heart.

"Umm… I've had a few mishaps." Sakura checked on Tomoyo one more time. SHE WAS GONE! She just went and left her here with this strange man! That was just like her! Sakura glanced around the room, panicked at the idea of being completely alone. "Tomoyo is gone." She glanced back at Syaoran. He looked behind him to check for himself. After coming up with the same answer, he got up off the wall that he had been leaning against.

"Where the heck did the two of them go?" Syaoran stared out at the crowd that was growing in the lobby. "How much do you want to bet that they're in the middle of that?" He chuckled as he looked back at Sakura. She shivered slightly. As attracted to him as she was, the way that he could laugh and smile without it ever reaching his eyes made her chill to the bone. It was almost unnatural. She slowly moved her attention to the still growing crowd in the middle of the lobby.

"A world famous fashion-designer and director couple being mobbed in the middle of a snazzy hotel lobby? That's not something that ever happens! There's no way that they would be the center of that!" Sakura smiled widely, just to prove that she was kidding and snuck a look back at Syaoran before returning her attention to the mass. "What do you suggest we do?"

Syaoran's smile faded almost immediately. His face darkened considerably and his jaw tightened, if looks could kill, Sakura was sure this one could kill hundreds with a single shot. She whipped her head around to see just what was upsetting him so badly. "I don't think there's any reason to get involved." His face returned to a normal countenance as he glanced in her direction. "Do you know what restaurant Tomoyo wanted to go to?" He grabbed a pen and pencil from the end table in the sitting room behind him.

"Well, yeah, I do…But why?" The pen and paper made her more than a little suspicious of his plan.

"I think we'll just go ahead and meet them there. They can catch up later, right?" He had a mischievous look on his face as he wrote something down on the piece of paper. He ripped it off the pad and waved it around a little while he said, "I'm going to go give this to the front desk, they can give it too them when the crowd dies down. We'll still all eat together…We're just going to be saving them a seat. That's all."

Oh, Sakura didn't like the sound of that.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Look, look! :D I got another one out so quickly! You guys that faster updates are as great as I do, right? Well, show some love! If I get reviews, I'll keep writing the story! If I don't, well…*deep male voiceover* -Hiatus until Further Notice- *cough, cough* I would never drop a story, but if there isn't any interest shown in the story, then I have others that can have priority.

Now then, in other news, I'm really sorry that there was almost NO plot in this one. I'm just trying to get everyone comfortable with the character relationships and background info. Okay, so maybe that wasn't the plan at all. So maybe the chapter just turned out like this. I'm still sorry that there's no plot motion in this chapter. Stick with me, okay? It'll pick up speed soon. XD

Best wishes and happy reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own, or even pretend to own, the characters of CardCaptor Sakura So please do not sue me. That would be very bad. Much obliged. :D

Cleverness of Syaoran

* * *

Syaoran frowned to himself as he pulled onto the main road. They couldn't have discovered him that quickly, could they? He had just gotten to Japan! He should have at least have had a few weeks to prepare… Even a few days would have been okay with him! He furrowed his brows as he stared at the road ahead of him. It could have been just a fluke, right? He could have been hallucinating. Or maybe he was just being paranoid. There was no way they could have found him so quickly… Not unless… He didn't even want to go there. Syaoran shook his head gently, forcing his thoughts from his head. His brain was still working a mile a minute, but that was not a road that he wanted to go down. But he had clearly seen someone, just behind the group that had surrounded Eriol and Tomoyo. At first, Syaoran had thought that he was taking a picture of the couple, but the smug grin that the photographer had had set him on edge. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at the dashboard that held the GPS that was directing him towards the restaurant. Glowering as he drove, he vaguely remembered that there was someone else in the car; he could just barely see her out of his peripheral. It wasn't until she started shuffling through her purse that he really comprehended the significance of her being with him. He was going to have to entertain her.

~xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo~

Sakura shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat, watching out the window as all the shops and restaurants flashed in and out of view. She glanced over at the brunet sitting in the seat next to her and immediately knew that it was a mistake. With his brooding eyes staring straight ahead, his jaw clenched, and his hands clenching the steering wheel, he looked intimidating. Scary even. His intense amber eyes slid over at her and his expression loosened considerably as he studied her face. Green met brown for a moment before he returned his attention back to the road. Sakura took a deep breath, realizing in shock that she had been holding her breath. Smiling to herself, she grabbed the knees of her pants and squeezed the fabric. He was one of Tomoyo's friends. There wasn't anything scary about that, right? She finally felt herself calming down. This was better. _Keep your thoughts on Tomoyo_. This man wasn't quite so bad if she thought about it that way.

~xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo~

Syaoran cleared his voice, already uncomfortable. "So…How do you know Tomoyo?" Small talk wasn't exactly his strong point, but that seemed like it was a neutral enough topic. He glanced over at the slumped over female to see her eyes widen in shock. She quickly shook her head and sat up.

"Umm… We met in college. We were roommates." Sakura's mouth snapped shut and she immediately turned her attention to outside, making it obvious that she wanted to limit the small talk. Syaoran grimaced slightly and returned his own focus back to the dark road. That was fine, honestly, that made less work for him. He could entertain her if he really needed to, but he usually preferred to avoid those situations. The brunet slowed to stop for a red traffic light and sighed, releasing some of the tension in his shoulders. Reaching a hand up to his neck, he massaged the skin firmly, attempting to calm himself. It probably wasn't the greatest idea for him to be on edge through the meal. "What about you?" The sound of the soft voice made Syaoran's eyes snap open. Looking at her, he really couldn't tell if he had really heard her say something or not. She was sitting in the exact same position as earlier, not even facing him. "The light's green." A quick flick of her emerald eyes was all the acknowledgement he needed. Shifting slightly in his seat, he gave Sakura a quick half-smile and pressed on the gas pedal.

"Childhood friends. We've known each other since we were 9." How was it so hard to start a conversation with her now? They had gotten along just fine on the plane. As a matter of fact, Syaoran personally thought that they had gotten along too well on the plane. Squeezing the steering wheel a little tighter, he gave Sakura one last glance. It wasn't like she was a different person. Maybe this was just how the relationship was supposed to be like in the first place. He heard the unforgiving sound of her shuffling through her things once more. Probably looking for something that she could use to occupy her own attention.

"Hello?" Syaoran looked over, surprised by the sudden outburst from the girl. Oh. She had been searching for her phone. Syaoran smiled in spite of himself. She seemed like the type of girl who could lose stuff in her own bag. She glanced over at him and smiled warmly, the first time since they had gotten in the car. Pointing towards the phone, she mouthed the word 'Tomoyo' as if that was the reason he was staring at her. Nodding quickly, he looked back out the window. "No, not yet." Her voice sounded so happy and pleasant, as if all that awkwardness just a moment ago had been imagined; it hadn't really happened. "We'll probably be there shortly." Syaoran felt a tap on his shoulder and jumped slightly. Glancing at Sakura sheepishly, he gripped the steering wheel harder. She tapped her arm with her pointer finger and let her eyes linger on him expectantly. Syaoran panicked slightly, not sure if she was asking a question that he was supposed to know the answer too. Looking at his own arms, he released a breath of relief. She wanted the time.

"6:15. We'll probably be there by 6:30. I can't imagine that we'll take much longer to get there." Syaoran listened as she repeated what he said to Tomoyo. Sighing, he began to start a timeline. He would have 15 more minutes of awkward car ride. Then, he would have to deal with her in the restaurant for a little while until Tomoyo and Eriol decided to grace them with their presence. The thought of sitting alone with her made him nearly groan inwardly. This would not be a pleasant evening. Releasing the wheel with one hand, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and wondered how in the world there could be so many red lights on one street.

"Do you need some sort of medicine?" Syaoran jumped again. What was it about this girl that made him so easily off guard? Normally nothing would sneak up on him like she did. Staring at her for a moment, he dropped his massaging hand back towards the steering wheel. Her emerald tinted eyes focused on him solely, dragging his focus even farther away from the road.

"No. I'm okay, thanks." He felt the left corner of his mouth jerk up in a sad attempt on his part to smile.

"Alright then," Sakura smiled in return, so he felt a little better. Maybe he had gotten the point across.

The silence returned, but this time, it wasn't quite so awkward. Syaoran pushed back on his seat and tapped his thumbs on the black leather steering wheel. Still, he thought as he glanced over at the brunette girl, he wished he could have been a little more proficient in the art of conversation.

"So… What do you do for a living?" Sakura had found her voice again, and she was looking at him as if it had been a surprise to her as well. With eyes wide, she opened her mouth again, as if she was to elaborate, and then quickly shut it again. Scrunching her eyebrows together slightly, she tried again. "I mean, we talked about me quite a bit on the plane, but I don't think we ever really got to talking about you."

With a quick flick of his amber eyes, Syaoran studied the girl in the seat next to him. He was about 70% sure that they had discussed his 'profession', if that was what she was really asking about. Clenching his jaw tightly, he returned her attention back to the road. Tomoyo could have told her what he really did for a living. That could either make his life a whole lot easier, or it could make his life just that much harder. Sighing as he finally pulled into the restaurant; he turned off the engine and sat back into his seat. "Well… My family owns a business that I'm pretty invested in."

"Oh." Sakura blushed and picked at a thread that had attached itself to her white sweater. "Do you enjoy it?" She didn't look at him as she spoke, just quickly bent to lift her small brown purse from the floor of the car. Reaching for the door handle, she pulled it open halfway and looked at Syaoran. "Your work, that is?"

"Sure." Syaoran's voice was purposefully cut, leaving no room for any more discussion. He heard the sound of the door popping from its closed position and watched from his peripherals as she got out of the car without saying another word.

~xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo~

The restaurant was dimly lit and casual; even from a person's first glance, they would be able to tell it was a bar. Syaoran and Sakura had been seated at a small round table, barely large enough for the four people who were supposedly going to be dining there. It had been easy to get the seating, Syaoran had just had to mention Tomoyo's name, and everything was peachy. Unfortunately, that had been the only easy part of the evening. After the conversation in the car, Sakura hadn't so much as attempted to start a conversation again. Not that he really minded the silence all that much; it's just that he didn't think that this girl looked quite right without a smile. Her mouth seemed a little too small.

Syaoran drummed his fingers impatiently against the glass of water that he held in his right hand. Where were those two? It had been a good thirty minutes since Sakura had received the phone call from Tomoyo in the car, but there was still no sign of them. Sighing, he took a long swig of the cold drink before turning his attention to the bartender. Sakura had gotten a beer, which had surprised him, but he had refrained. As much as he was craving a nice finger of bourbon, he needed to stay on top of his game. If they were already close enough to know where he was staying, he didn't have much time to prepare. He should probably even look into changing his room number. But if he changed his room number, that might actually make it easier for them to track him. He wished he knew how they were getting their information. That would make his life so much easier. But when had his life ever been easy?

He heard the sigh of relief from Sakura before he actually saw the couple. They sauntered in together, Tomoyo hanging off of Eriol's arm, and spoke briefly with the hostess before noticing Sakura's emerald gaze trained on them. Waving lightly as they walked to join the two at the table, Syaoran noticed that Sakura quickly moved one more seat to the left so that she was no longer sitting next to him. Tomoyo gracefully took the seat that Sakura had vacated and Eriol took the remaining.

As soon as the couple joined, it was almost as if all the awkward time without them had never even happened. "So, about earlier…" Eriol looked at Syaoran meaningfully while taking a swig of his own bourbon. A bourbon that had practically started a civil war in the first place, but was now being tolerated due to the lack of drinking from Tomoyo. "Why the hurry to leave?"

"What do you mean?" Syaoran avoided the question without any trace of finesse. "I simply didn't feel like waiting for you to fight your way free from the mob. Miss Kinomoto was just being pleasant enough to keep me company in my selfishness." Giving a look to Eriol with his amber eyes, he glanced in Sakura's direction. "Which I have yet to thank her for, honestly." He threw a quick half-smile in her direction, before returning his attention back to his friend.

Sakura's laugh tinged like miniature bells, "I could hardly be considered good company. I should be thanking you from saving me from the wait as well."

"Yes, yes. Eriol and I are just so inconvenient to have around, aren't we?" Tomoyo huffed dramatically as she took another bite of her meal. After she swallowed she continued, "We could always leave, you know. You guys could have a nice meal all by yourselves."

"Oh, cheer up Tomoyo. We don't mean it personally." Syaoran laughed slightly at Tomoyo's expression as Sakura hugged her and Eriol rolled her eyes.

Sakura spoke up, squeezing her friend tight, "You know that we both would be lost without the pleasure of your wonderful presence." She winked at Syaoran and Eriol blatantly, and the duo laughed at the showing.

~xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo~

The meal continued in the same manner till its end. The four had split up into groups during the meal, so when the time came that the girls decided to go, Eriol and Syaoran stayed behind for another drink. As they left, a good hour or two later, Syaoran felt a shiver run up his spine. Turning to Eriol, he frowned. "Why do they always wait for after dinner?"

Eriol sighed loudly as he reached behind him, "I couldn't tell you. I've never understood their logic."

"Waiting outside a restaurant for your target is just so damn… _predictable_." At that, Syaoran pulled the gun from his waistband and shot three shots into the darkness of the alley.

* * *

**Author's Note:** This series is ultimately dropped. I just had this last chapter sitting on my computer and it was like… "Finish me, finish me." So I said… "Fine." And glared at it… For two days. Anywhos, it's finished now, so I don't have that guilty conscious anymore. Yippee!

Best Wishes and Happy Reading!


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